COMMUNITIES. AT HOME IN DUNE ACRES.

Just outside the gates of Dune Acres is Cowles Bog...

October 12, 1998|By Dee Dunheim. Special to the Tribune.

Just outside the gates of Dune Acres is Cowles Bog, birthplace of the movement to preserve the Indiana Dunes.

Now the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore surrounds the town. "You get a sense of being out in the country when you live here," said Lou Roberts, town clerk/treasurer, "and since most homeowners have one-half- or three-quarter-acre wooded sites, they feel a sense of seclusion and privacy."

All residents are within a two- or three-block walk of the beach. The five or six access points to the lakefront have turned into mini-neighborhoods connected by paths to the lake.

The beach town has evolved from a vacation and summer-house spot to a place where at least two-thirds of the 160 homes are now in full-time use.

"Dune Acres is probably still perceived as the premier beach community in this area," said Donna Hofmann, real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Chesterton. "The subdivision of Dune Acres was well planned by its original developers in 1929 and 1930. Its design takes into account all the contours and typography of the dunes.

"The entry-level price for a home in Dune Acres is about $225,000, but last year's home sales went as high as $1.2 million. "The least expensive property I have for sale in Dune Acre right now is an older but updated 1,900-square-foot cedar home containing three bedrooms, two baths, a screened-in porch and tiered decking. It sits in a secluded corner lot in the woods with a price of $240,000," said Hofmann.

At the other extreme, a 5,000-square-foot glass and cedar house sits high up on a dune and has panoramic views of the shoreline and, over the treetops, Chicago's skyline. The house has floor-to-ceiling windows. It contains six bedrooms, four baths and a tiered deck with timber terrace. Its price is $799,000.

"One of the prettiest homes on the market right now is on Shore Drive," said Hofmann. Many additions and updates have been made to the late-1920s home. The three-story white Cape Cod sits on the bluff overlooking the beach. It has panoramic lake views including the Chicago skyline and is priced at $649,000.

No businesses exist in Dune Acres. The Porter Fire Department comes to the rescue in case of fire, and the Porter County Sheriff's Office is called upon in emergency situations. Children attend Chesterton schools.

"We're very environmentally conscious here," said John O'Shea, a member of the Plan Commission and Town Council. Dune Acres has an all-volunteer government; councilmen O'Shea, Ben Bolton and Dusty Stemer take turns as town president.

"Our water, fire and police and park, road, building and environmental commissioners all take four-year turns in their volunteer responsibilities," O'Shea said. Dune Acres also has its own water treatment and distribution system. Residents use a small Town Hall to conduct municipal meetings, and a large log building for social functions.

"Our town also created some pretty great amenities for a small community," said Roberts, "including a children's playground, a soccer field, tennis courts and even an ice rink."

Dune Acres is known for a diverse group of residents from all economic strata, from corporate executives to retired blue-collar workers. "For many years and to this day," said O'Shea, "we have been home to an unusually large number of University of Chicago professors."